Strawberries and Champagne
by subzerosandals
Summary: Follows the basic storyline of Gossip Girl; CB/NS. Blair meets Serena on a vacation and the two quickly become friends. When Serena's stepbrother Chuck meets his stepsister's new friend, he immediately falls in love with her.
1. Chapter 1

"Man, how come I always have to roll the joint?" Nate whined. "You smoke away all of my hard work."

"Because, Nathaniel… I'm Chuck Bass." Chuck replied with a condescending overtone. Then, he burst out laughing. "Nah man, you're just better at it, yours always smoke smoother."

The typical scene of any given day: Nate Archibald, grandson of William Vanderbilt, getting high with Chuck Bass, notorious bad boy of the Upper East Side and son of the late Bart Bass. Subsequently, this also made him the sole heir to Bass Industries and the youngest billionaire in New York. Chuck lived in the penthouse of his most prized hotel The Empire. At 17, he already had quite the reputation not only as the youngest billionaire, but as the most eligible bachelor in Manhattan. It was rare for Chuck to spend a night alone, but he was never seen with the same girl twice. It was well known around the island that Chuck Bass "doesn't do girlfriends".

Nate Archibald was known as the golden boy. Perpetually stoned, he was always smiling and always Chuck's right-hand man. As children, their nannies were friends, and these two quickly bloomed a lasting friendship. Nate never minded Chuck always calling the shots and getting the girls. Nate was more of a relationship kind of man, and his most current girlfriend was none other than the "it girl" of Manhattan, Serena van der Woodsen.

Serena had a lot of different reputations, none of which she hated. She loved the spotlight and the parties, and she loved Nate. She also loved the privileges that being Chuck Bass' stepsister gave her, too: exclusive access to parties, shopping events, the Bass Industries private jet… Serena also loved to vacation and loved to meet new people. She spent a few weeks over summer break in Paris, shopping for the latest couture and hitting the hottest parties. This is where she met Blair Waldorf. She almost spilled a drink on her one night in a club in Paris.

"Excusez-moi!" Serena blurted out in weak French.

The other girl giggled. She was fluent in French and could instantly pick out an American trying too hard. "It's okay, don't worry about it. No harm done."

"Oh, you speak English… rather well, actually…."

"I'm American, just visiting my father, he lives here." Blair explained.

"Fantastic! Someone who finally speaks fluent English! I'm tired of the broken English and my weak French. Oh! By the way –" she extended her hand. "—Serena van der Woodsen, nice to meet you!"

The other girl extended her hand as well. "Blair Waldorf, and likewise!"

"Waldorf… as in… Eleanor Waldorf Designs?"

"She's my mother. You sound like you're a fan of her work." Blair replied, surprised that this girl, a style icon in New York City, knew of her mother's line. Blair always thought it to be a little stuffy, but she never let her mother on to that.

"I am! I'm curious… how have we never met? Your mother lives in Manhattan, right down the street from my building. You live with her? I've never seen you at school, or at any parties."

Blair blushed. She knew exactly who Serena was. Everybody knew who Serena was, because everybody read Gossip Girl. Gossip Girl was the Perez Hilton of the Upper East Side over privileged teen scene. If a person wanted to know who did what or who wore it better, where the hottest parties were and who broke up with who, this was the place to go, and it was almost real-time results. Blair was of course a subscriber. She longed to be a part of that world. She belonged in that world. Her mother had other plans, though, and instead of going to Constance, Blair went to over achieving Chapin. Blair was the head of her class, but the other girls were so boring. They cared nothing about fashion or the social scene, and the most exciting news was whose score was better on the Latin exam.

"Oh, I go to Chapin. I was thinking of a transfer to Constance Billard though, it's closer to home and I hear they have an excellent Intro to Management course that counts as college credit." Blair of course knew that Serena went to Constance, but didn't want to lead on that she knew everything about this girl that she had just met.

"I go to Constance! Yeah, the Intro to Management class is great, I guess, I haven't taken it yet. I'll be a senior this year. The academics are decently easy, and we share a corridor with St. Judes, so lots of cute boys roam the hallways during lunch." Serena could have cared less about the academics of Constance, but she didn't want to come off as a floozy. She liked this girl. She wasn't judgmental, and didn't know who she was. She had a feeling they would become great friends over the rest of this vacation.

_Look out, Upper East Siders. Seems like S found herself a new bestie in Paris, and they both hail from the same island. How is it we've never heard her name before? Oh well, it won't be long before she makes a name for herself running with this crowd. XOXO, Gossip Girl._

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**Author's Note: Thanks for reading! This is my first attempt at a fanfic ever, so I would REALLY appreciate any tips or constructive criticism you have for me. I have roughly 5 chapters already written out for the story; I want to wait for a few reviews before going on though, so that I can edit and make sure that this story is as epic as I'm hoping it would be when I got the idea. It follows the GG storyline, although much of it is really intermixed. This takes place before the famous limo scene; Bart has already passed away. I'm not sure if I'll introduce Dan or Jenny into the storyline, right now it's C/B, N/S. Before getting a degree in computer networking, I really wanted to be an English major, so I'm hoping I can use that to my advantage to write something that follows the thoughts in my head. I don't think there will be too much angst in this fic either, I tend to lean towards happily-ever-after. Maybe another fic will have some angst if I get the motivation to do so. :) **


	2. Chapter 2

After getting back from Paris, Blair had found it surprisingly easy to convince Eleanor to let her transfer to Constance. It didn't take a whole lot to persuade a parent on the UES to do anything except maybe spend a little time at home, but Blair was still a little bit shocked when her mother claimed she'd get on the phone right away. Blair wanted to text Serena to tell her, but wanted to come off as cool as possible. She decided against it, she didn't want to seem desperate for friends. So instead, she kissed her mother on the cheek, grabbed her purse, and after a quick glance in the mirror to make sure she looked presentable, she headed out to grab a coffee and give her credit card a workout.

xoxo

Chuck knew a good business venture when he saw one. It was in his mind the best thing he could have inherited from Bart, next to the small fortune sitting in various bank accounts. He looked up at the building from the sidewalk, and envisioned the dark wood doors opening up to the sound of clinking glasses and laughs between friends. This is exactly what Manhattan needed. A speakeasy. Years ago, they had been all over the city, but times changed and little gems like this were replaced with coffee shops and convenience stores. He swore he could hear the slow jazz, the flowing alcohol, the sound of women's heels on the wood floor while they danced.

He called Nate. This idea was golden. He needed to open this place before the first day of school. He'd hold the opening ceremony that night; someone always had a party after the first day of school, usually someone whose parents hadn't come home from the Hamptons yet. He had a good feeling about this one.

xoxo

Serena was walking around Prada with a bit of a somber face. She needed a new purse for school, and nothing was catching her eye. She was Serena Van der Woodsen. She needed to shine, and these purses were not going to do it for her. She walked out of the store, empty handed and made up her mind. She was going to find the cutest purse, no matter what.

She walked past Coach, and almost hit the man walking behind her when she started to backtrack. She found it. Coach wasn't necessarily high up on her list of couture, but it wasn't completely off the radar, either. It was beautiful. Clean lines, a beautiful dark pink, almost red color with silver buckles and chains that sparkled in the light of the display. She stood in the window and contemplated. She didn't even know what she was contemplating. It was cute, and that's what she wanted. That's when she heard the familiar voice of her newest friend behind her. She had an unmistakably clear voice, and the girls had spent so much time together in France, it was easy to pick each other out of a crowd now.

"Daddy, thank you for convincing her that it was a good idea, I don't know what I would do without you sometimes." Then Blair spotted Serena's blonde hair. "Daddy, I'll have to let you go, I just spotted a friend. Love you! Kiss kiss!" She smiled and walked over to Serena just as Serena was turning around to find the brunette beauty she thought she heard.

"Hey, Blair! I'm so glad I ran into you!"

"Serena!" Blair pulled her into a hug. "Looks like we had just about the same idea. A little bit of retail therapy?"

"Yeah, I really wanted a new purse. I saw this one, and I know it's no D&G, but it's such a pretty color, Blair… what do you think?"

Blair looked her new friend in the eye and smiled. "It's gorgeous, S. Buy it. That color looks perfect for you."

That was all the convincing Serena needed. She loved having Blair around. She always told it like it was and didn't sugar coat things the way other girls might around her.

"Aww B, thanks. Shop with me? It gets boring without someone to bounce ideas off of. I so wish you were coming to Constance with me… I need an ally. The girls there are… they're just not as nice as you are. They would have never agreed with me buying this bag."

Blair was bursting at the seams. Now she finally had the chance to tell Serena she WAS coming to school with her, and not seem overly eager. "Actually, S… surprise! I just transferred today. That's why I came out shopping… it's a celebration of sorts, I suppose."

Serena squealed and pulled Blair into a big hug. The girls locked arms and shopped well into the evening hours, only stopping once for more coffee and a bagel. By the time they were done, the damage they had done equaled the value of a decently sized house in a middle class neighborhood.

_Well kids, school starts back up in a few days, and I'm sure you'll all be buzzing about S' new BFF. She seems innocent now, but it's only a matter of time before she finds herself in a nice scandal. You can't run with this crowd without a little controversy in your back pocket. You know you love me, xoxo, Gossip Girl._

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_**A/N: Thank you SO much for all of your reviews! They seriously made my day, and so many of you had so many nice things to say about the first chapter. I've decided to keep Jenny and Dan out of it, unless I just use their name or slight likenesses as filler characters, but I haven't gotten that far yet. They will NOT be major to the story. I thought about merging this chapter with Chapter 3 for a nice big mega chapter, but it just didn't flow right. I should have Chapter 3 up by tomorrow so that you don't have to wait too long, because I know we all want to get to the Chuck & Blair goodness. :) I almost feel like this chapter is a bit of a transition to Blair and Chuck meeting, but I don't want to give too much away. And I feel like Blair and Serena became best friends REALLY fast, but I suppose that's the way I needed the story to be, and there are people who just click right away like that, too. Anyway, enough with the rambling. I hope you enjoy and Chapter 3 should be up no later than this time tomorrow. :) **_


	3. Chapter 3

It was a rare occasion to Chuck to sleep at Lily's penthouse, but being closer to school than his place at The Empire, it made his morning a little bit easier. Chuck had been up all night putting the final details together for tonight's grand opening with Nate. They found some young, attractive burlesque dancers for the stage, and had just gotten a rush approval on the liquor license for the bar. On the Upper East Side, being served as an under aged teenager was only a crime in the books. Most of their parents signed paychecks for the law officers anyway, and the police turned a bit of a blind eye to the partying ways of the kids around here. It was all in place. Nate was spreading the word around St. Jude's, and Chuck had convinced his blonde bombshell stepsister to spread the words at Constance.

xoxo

Blair stood in her closet, frowning. Even after all of the shopping her and Serena had accomplished the week before, she had nothing to wear to her first party on the Upper East Side. All of her club clothes were in Paris, because she never hit the clubs in Manhattan. Eleanor was in Europe for work, and she wouldn't have been able to ask her input anyway. Blair was a good girl; she wasn't supposed to be clubbing and most definitely not on a school night. She picked up her phone and dialed Serena's number.

"Hey, B! I was just going to text you!"

"Serena, this is a crisis. All of my club clothes are still in Paris and I have nothing to wear!"

"B, don't worry. First off, it's not a typical club. Wear something with a vintage feel, think prohibition. Actually, I haven't started getting ready yet. Do you want me to come over and we can get ready together? I'll bring a few pieces for you to try."

90 minutes, 26 dresses and one shoe-swap later, Serena and Blair were ready. Serena had on a sleek black flapper style dress with some black strappy heels. Blair went a little more conservative with a muted green/beige lace dress and some nude pumps. Blair felt a little weird going out on a school night, but she knew that this was the life she wanted. The glitz and the glamour were worth a few hours of lost sleep and a minor hangover for first period. Her Latin homework was going to have to wait, because she had to admit; her and Serena looked really, really hot. As she stepped outside following Serena, she almost gasped, but contained herself. Serena must have sensed it, or seen the way her eyes got really wide. She laughed.

"The perks of Chuck Bass being your brother, I guess." Serena never even noticed the high class perks anymore, it had become commonplace. "You'll get used to it. Come on, get in!"

The girls popped a bottle of champagne as they rode to the club. They had almost emptied the entire bottle by the time they reached the club.

xoxo

Chuck was beaming. People were filing in, the champagne was flowing, and the girls were dancing. He had a private room reserved in back for himself, Nate and Serena. Serena had mentioned bringing a friend, and Chuck had reluctantly agreed to let her come back as well. He had never met her, but judging by the rest of Serena's friends he had met (and slept with), he had a feeling he'd be leaving his own party early. He left instructions for the bouncer to guide Serena and her guest to the backroom when they arrived. He grabbed another bottle of champagne from the bar and went back to go join Nate in a celebratory toke before the girls arrived.

xoxo

When Blair and Serena arrived at Victrola, Blair was mesmerized. It was like stepping back in time. Whoever owned this place had taste. Everybody in attendance looked flawless, and walking inside the door, it was easy to see why these had been so popular in the past. There were sounds of jazz music floating outside every time the door cracked open a bit, and the smell of cigars and liquor that normally made Blair choke, instead set the mood for the night. She was ready to be Blair of the Upper East Side…but it could just be the champagne talking.

Serena checked her name at the door and they were led through the crowd inside to a hallway that led to the private lounges. The last lounge, the most private and exclusive, was of course the lounge that Chuck reserved.

Blair was a bit in awe that she was actually being led to a private lounge. She was Blair Waldorf, but that meant nothing to the social scene when she had never been on the social radar to begin with. They all knew her mother, and they knew she was important, but without a reputation, it was a bit hard to get an all-access pass. That was what prompted Blair's move to Constance. She didn't want to be sweet, innocent Blair Waldorf. She wanted it to mean something. The more they walked, the harder the champagne hit Blair, and the more she wanted to do something crazy.

Just then, you could hear the chirp, beep and chime of every cell phone in the building. Someone had tipped off Gossip Girl.

_Looks like B is ready to get her name out there. Boys, keep your eyes open and girls, grab your boyfriends. This little hottie is ready for the big leagues. Don't let the vintage lace fool you. Xoxo, Gossip Girl. _

xoxo

Chuck had just finished reading the blast when the door popped open and Serena waltzed in. She smiled at him, and then walked over to see Nate. The girl who walked in after her, this must be the girl the blast was just talking about. Vintage lace, check. Yeah, it was her alright. Gossip Girl had been right, this girl was hot. She was more than hot, she was absolutely gorgeous. How had Chuck never seen her before? Maybe she was new to Manhattan. If she was, where had Serena met her? She had great taste and class. She had flawless skin and shimmering brown hair, and a perfect body to match that. Chuck began to think of the things he would do to her… and then strangely, he regretted even thinking those things about this mysteriously beautiful girl now smiling at him. _Oh, shit, I'm staring at her… nonchalant smile… okay, now I don't seem creepy._ His thoughts kept rolling, he hardly heard her say hi. He couldn't sleep with her. She needed love, she need a prince. She didn't deserve a one night stand and a note on her pillow in the morning. She was the kind of girl you brought home to Mom, or Dad… or Lily; not the kind you try sneaking out at 7am before anybody sees the hot mess doing a walk of shame.

Nate noticed Chuck nearly drooling with glazed eyes at Serena's friend, who was now sitting across from Chuck, still smiling at him. Maybe she didn't notice that he hadn't blinked and hardly seemed aware of his surroundings. Nate didn't recognize this look on his best friend's face. It was different. He wasn't looking at her like his next conquest. Nate then looked at Serena, who was giving Chuck the "don't you even think about it" look that she often gave her step brother when he was eyeing up one of her friends. Chuck didn't see either of them. He very apparently only saw Blair.

Serena piped up and cleared her throat. "Guys, this is my friend, Blair Waldorf. Blair, this is my boyfriend Nate Archibald, and that is my step brother, Chuck Bass."

Nate flashed his golden boy smile and said hello, then turned his attention to Serena. Serena looked at Chuck, and he was still staring. Oddly, Blair didn't seem to notice. "Chuck… this is Blair Waldorf."

Chuck snapped out of his thoughts, shook it off, and blinked a few times. He then put on his best charming smile. "Blair, nice to meet you. Welcome to Victrola, thanks for coming with Serena. She could use more friends like you." Serena shot him a look.

Blair extended her hand to shake Chuck's. "Nice to meet you, Chuck."

"Please, take a seat. Champagne?"

"Yes, please. Thank you. Chuck Bass… as in Bass Industries, heir of the Bass empire?"

"Guilty as charged. And Blair Waldorf… as in Eleanor Waldorf Designs?"

Blair was surprised. Men never knew who Eleanor Waldorf was. Most women didn't even know. Her mother's clothes were catered to the stuffy social climbing woman that the Upper East Side was comprised of. "Uh, yeah, that's my mother. Do you know her? Most men don't associate her name with anything."

"Ah, yes, she did some business with my father on occasion, and I believe she's made Lily a few pieces here and there."

Blair smiled. Chuck was quite the gentleman. She sipped her glass of champagne and settled against the back of the couch she sat on. This was nice, she felt comfortable. She belonged here, with these people, drinking champagne and lazily watching the burlesque dancers on stage. This was her scene.

xoxo

Hours later, after 3 more bottles of champagne, Blair wasn't sure which way was up. Chuck was more infatuated with Blair, whom he'd been engaged in conversation with non-stop since she had arrived. He couldn't help it. She was mesmerizing. Serena and Nate were on a chair in the corner, lost in each other's throats. Normally, Blair would have felt akward about it, but she was feeling so warm and fuzzy that she couldn't care less. She was feeling herself wanting someone to be lost with right now, and Chuck seemed the perfect candidate, but he hadn't even put a move on her, and she could never make a move on him. She wasn't even sure how.

Blair yawned, and Chuck checked his watch. It was late, almost 1am. Tomorrow morning was going to be hellish enough with the hangover the champagne was likely to give them all. A sleepless night was only going to make it worse.

"Serena, please, for the love of all that is decent, remove your tongue from my best friend's throat. It's getting late, maybe we should call it a night?" Honestly, he had grown a little tired of always having to watch their slop fest. Luckily, Blair had provided a good enough distraction for him. He wanted to be kissing her, but knew that would only lead to more, and he refused to make her a hookup.

"Man, give us 30 minutes. Sit back and enjoy yourself, your opening night was a smash success, celebrate it!" Nate chimed in from the corner. Even to Chuck, Nate was hard to resist.

"Fine," Chuck replied. "Blair, if you're tired, you're more than welcome to take a car home. I know it's late."

"Oh, it's okay. This is fun; I can wait another half hour." Blair felt a little dizzy. She may have had one too many glasses of champagne, but it was delicious with the strawberries floating on top. She looked at Chuck through slightly hooded eyes. There was no wonder he was the most eligible, powerful man on the Upper East Side. He had an adorable smirk and an amazingly strong jaw line. He was slender, but not skinny. Just toned. And his eyes… they were brown, but had so much depth. They smoldered, and seemed to darken and smolder a little bit more when he looked at her. Then it hit her. She wanted to do something crazy tonight… this was it. She leaned in closer to Chuck, and he looked surprised, but happy. She could smell him, and feel his body heat. She wanted to lunge down his throat… but not now. Not yet. She moved closer to him, and could feel his breath on her cheek. "Chuck… dare me. Dare me to do it, or I never will."

"Dare you to what?" he managed to choke out. He wanted to kiss her. Did she even know what she was doing to him right now?

"Dare me to dance. Onstage. Right now."

Chuck smiled. Before he could even say another word, she was up off the couch. His smile was all it took. Even with all the champagne running through her, she gracefully made it onstage. Serena and Nate stopped and turned to stare. What was she doing? Blair looked at Chuck with a look that clearly said "this is for you". She began to move, slowly. She took off her headband, and tossed it to Chuck. He leaned forward to try and get a better look at this. She started to unzip the side of her dress, swinging her hips slowly and moving her hand down her body. She turned her back to her audience as her dress hit the floor, exposing her satin slip that captured the light of the stage. She looked over her shoulder and smiled at Chuck. A smile that screamed of desire. As she swayed her slender body, the satin clung in all the right places.

Chuck couldn't look away. He had been with models and gorgeous foreign princesses, but none of them even compared to Blair Waldorf. Her long, soft brown hair and pale smooth skin, her deep brown eyes and perfect body…

He came back to reality when he felt a hand on the back of his neck. Blair whispered in his ear, "Thank you, Chuck. That was great." Her breath smelled of strawberries and champagne, and he wanted her to whisper in his ear all night long. He would be content with that. He couldn't do that to her though. Regardless of the fact that he had just watched her dance on stage, she stripped out of her dress, and was very clearly under the influence, he could not do that to her. She was still too innocent, and in only a few short hours, she had become much too important to him to destroy like that. He had to fix this situation before it got out of control.

"Serena, Nate. It's late. I'm tired, and we have school in the morning. Blair, it was lovely meeting you, and I'm sure I'll be seeing you again. You can take the limo with Serena and Nate; the driver will drop you off at home. Goodnight." He kissed her cheek and turned to walk out of the door.

"Well, I guess it is late. We should probably get going too; the bar is going to close soon anyway." Nate took charge when he needed to, and he knew a Chuck Bass exit strategy when he saw one. He'd have to grill his best friend about this later.

As they walked down the hallway, Blair with dress in hand, she spotted the restroom and decided it would probably be wise to at least put her dress back on before she walked outside. "Serena, I have to get this dress back on. Meet you out there in a minute?" Serena nodded, and Blair walked into the restroom. In the 60 seconds it took her to get the dress back on, the adrenaline from the dancing had started to fade, and the champagne came back with a vengeance. She was a bit wobbly and dizzy, and just wanted to get home at this point. When she walked outside, she spotted the limo. She got in and closed the door, before even realizing that the limo she had stumbled into was not Serena and Nate's limo; it was Chuck's.

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**A/N: Again, thank you for the reviews, lovely readers! This chapter is twice as long as the others; this is really how long I expected most of them to be, but sometimes short ones just make more sense in the long run. I actually blended together two chapters for this one here. I realized that the 3rd chapter I had written out didn't even have Chuck and Blair meeting yet. I left out Blair's first day of classes, because it wasn't really pertinent to the story. Later on, there will be interactions at school. It just didn't work for me in this chapter. I'm sure you all have some sort of idea what might happen in the limo, and I didn't mean for such a cliffhanger - but I promise Chapter 4 being up by tomorrow. **


	4. Chapter 4

"Oh, Chuck!" Blair slurred out. "I'm so sorry… wrong limo."

Chuck had seen Nate and Serena emerge from the building without Blair, so he asked the driver to wait so he could make sure Blair got out okay. He wasn't sure what had come over him, but he just wanted to make sure she was safe.

"Blair, it's okay. I'll text Serena and tell her I'm taking you home."

"Thank you." She smiled. He was so sweet. How he got a reputation like the bad boy of the Upper East Side was beyond her. "You know, Chuck, you're really sweet. You're funny. You're kind…. and beautiful." At those last words, she moved closer and ran her finger along his jaw line. She had no idea what she was doing, why she was so open with him. She had never hooked up with a guy. She'd kissed guys in France during the summer, but it never went further than that. One part of her felt like she had no idea what she was doing or what she should do next… but the other part of her, it felt so natural to be around him.

Chuck froze. The slight touch of her finger gave him chills down his spine and butterflies in his stomach. It was strange. He had never felt this way, but he didn't necessarily mind. And as much as he wanted to lay her back on the leather seats of the limo and have his way with her, he refused to do that to her. She was sweet and had the illusion of something pure. He couldn't damage that. He liked her just the way she was, and ruining that would almost be a sin.

"Sweetheart, you're drunk. Rest your eyes and I'll wake you when we get to your building."

She leaned her head against his shoulder and he found it to be oddly comforting.

"Can I tell you something?" she murmured.

"Sure."

"I still think you're beautiful, even though you think I'm just drunk." Her fingers were dancing up and down his thigh, and he was trying really hard to think of anything else to keep the obvious stirring in his pants to get too out of control. Before he could even think of an answer for her, she lifted her head and swung herself over his lap. She was right there, right in front of his face, her legs straddling him, her chest at eye level, and her perfectly curly hair slightly bouncing from the movement of the car. This was too much.

"Blair," he breathed in a barely audible whisper, "I can't. It's not right."

She looked at him with those sweet chocolate brown eyes and brushed her fingers down his neck. That was it. He couldn't stand it anymore. This beautiful girl was throwing herself at him, and no matter what kind of self control he tried to exercise, it all disintegrated.

He couldn't stop himself. He kissed her. A sweet, tender kiss.

She pulled back and giggled. "Chuck, you taste like champagne!"

"So do you… and strawberries."

He kissed her again, more feverishly this time. There was a little more passion; it was a little harder, and a little deeper. There was almost a sense of urgency.

She began to unbutton his shirt, and his hands slid up her thighs. It felt so right. He couldn't quite figure it out, but this felt different. This was so much more different than another model. There was passion, there was feeling, there was… "Unnggg, Blair!"

She had bit his ear. She laughed, and he growled back at her, and dug his fingers a little deeper into her thighs. There was no way that this innocent girl could possible know how to play so rough.

She unzipped her dress and lifted it over her head, throwing it to the corner of the limo, leaving little to the imagination under that silky slip that he had seen glimmering in the light just a while ago. There was no way he could hide what was so clearing trying to escape his pants now, and the heat radiating from Blair wasn't helping him at all.

"Blair, I can't do this. I can't take advantage of you. You're better than this." He knew that she deserved so much better. She deserved a prince, not a playboy. No matter how bad he wanted it, and how bad she teased him, he just couldn't.

"Chuck… please. I want this. I need this."

Their eyes met, hooded and filled with desire. It was only a few seconds, but it felt like hours, just looking into each other's eyes, her breathing deep, and biting her bottom lip, all swollen with lust. She readjusted herself against him, and rubbed him in just the right way.

All caution went out the window, and he slammed his mouth against hers in quite possibly the most feverishly urgent kiss of his life. He wanted her, he wanted her bad. His hands moved up her legs to her hips, pulling up her slip as he went. She was grinding him hard. And then it clicked.

"Blair… no condom."

"Chuck… birth control."

He smiled against her mouth, never missing a beat. He hooked his fingers on her panties and started to remove them. She was fumbling with his belt buckle, and unzipping his pants. She moved his pants as far down as they would go without having to miss a single kiss.

He broke the kiss and looked at her one more time. "Are you sure?"

She answered the most literal way she knew how to at this point. She moved her hips up… and lowered herself down. He was her first, and she had no idea what to expect. It was surprisingly… satisfying. It was a different kind of pain; it hurt, but felt good at the same time.

Chuck could hardly contain himself. She was tight. He didn't want to hurt her; it was bad enough that he let it get this out of hand. He would let her call the shots. He gripped her hips and dug his fingers in to her perfect flesh, giving her support as she began to move faster.

She was getting used to the feeling, and the faster she moved, the better it felt. She could feel a tingly sensation, and it was amazing. She threaded her fingers through his hair while she rode him. She could feel her stomach getting tighter, the tingling getting stronger, and his muscles tensing up. She had read enough Cosmo to know what was coming. She raked her fingers down his chest, leaving red marks. She was so close. He was starting to buck his hips, and could tell that he was too. He captured her lips in a kiss and nibbled on her bottom lip.

She lost it. She cried out in ecstasy and saw stars as the coil of tightness in her stomach exploded and her entire body went tingly and numb all at once. Chuck was close to follow, bucking his hips and moaning her name.

She collapsed on his chest. He was still inside of her. They were both sweaty, sticky, and could hardly breathe.

He kissed her head and squeezed her shoulder. "Hey, good timing. We're at your building."

She looked out the window and up to the top floor, the penthouse. All was dark. Her mom was in Europe again, and she had given Dorota a night off. Good thing, too. Nobody needed to see her walk out of the elevator looking like she did. "Come up with me, Chuck. Nobody's home and I don't feel like being alone."

Chuck thought about it. He didn't want to let her go. Not yet, anyway. "Sure, Blair. I could use a shower anyway." He didn't want to seem too eager to be invited up to spend the night with her, and felt bad for making her think that he just wanted to use her shower.

They got up to Blair's room, and she led him to her bed. She laid down, not even bothering with pulling the sheets around her. He laid down next to her. He never made it to the shower. The pair fell asleep almost instantly, with smiles on their faces.

_Well, Upper East Sider's, looks like our new friend B stumbled into the wrong limo last night; one belonging to a certain young Bass. Morning will only confirm our suspicions as to what happened afterward. Careful B, we all know C's reputation and you know what happens in the limo doesn't stay in the limo. You know you love me, xoxo, Gossip Girl._

_

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_**A/N: I know it's a short update. I couldn't leave everybody hanging all weekend over what could have happened in the limo, though. :) That's the first time I EVER wrote anything close to a sex scene, and I feel like it could have been better, but it's something I think you have to get comfortable doing. I'll get there. If I had more time, I would have merged my already-existent Chapter 5 with this one to make it longer... but I want to edit it a little bit more and get everything just right. Monday or Tuesday will probably have another update. So until then... **


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

_Good morning, Upper East Siders. Spotted: Chuck Bass leaving B's building wearing yesterday's suit and post-sex bed head. Looks like our suspicions are confirmed. Welcome to the spotlight, B... _

Serena snapped her phone shut and growled under her breath. She knew that it was a bad idea to agree to Chuck taking Blair home. She thought about waiting until he got home so that she could yell at him face to face. She knew Chuck better than that, though. He'd be expecting that, so he'd go change and get ready for school at his penthouse. She'd have to drill into him later.

Blair checked her phone and read the blast. She knew that coming to this school and joining the ranks of elite high schoolers would mean being on Gossip Girl at some point. She just didn't think it would be her second day at Constance. She was just getting ready to close her locker and head to class when a hand held the door open.

"So, Blair... Chuck? Really?"

"Serena... not what you think."

"That's not how it seems, Blair."

"No, Serena, it is. Chuck came up to make sure I got in okay. We were tired. I went to get him a glass of water and came back, he had fallen asleep on the couch in my living room."

Blair was surprised at how smoothly she lied about it. She wasn't even sure why she lied. Being with Chuck, the limo, waking up next to him, the GG blast and confessing to Serena that her stepbrother took her innocence was all too much for one day.

"That's not like Chuck."

"Honestly, Serena. I have no reason to lie. You can ask Chuck yourself."

"I'm sorry Blair. I'm just... I hate seeing Chuck get with my friends and then throw them to the curb without a care the next day."

This made Blair cringe inside. Chuck wouldn't do that to her... would he? She had only known him for a few short hours before she had gone and let him take her in the limo.

"I have to go to class, see you second period?" Blair asked Serena. She needed an exit.

"Sure, Blair. I'm sorry I doubted you. I just know Chuck."

"It's fine, I'll see you later."

She walked to class in a daze. Chuck had been so sweet. She had been the one to throw herself at him, not the other way around. But it seemed like his reputation took precedence over anything that she had witnessed. Maybe it was part of who he was. She wanted to think that she had seen something more, but with her mind clear and champagne-free, all she could see was what an idiot she had been. And she only felt worse as first period went on. It had only been easy with Chuck because he knew how to make it easy. He was probably one of those de-virginators that she always saw in crappy movies about high school and college guys. She would have to keep this her dirty little secret, and go on with her head held high. To everybody on the outside, she was still pristine. And she planned to keep it that way. Chuck wouldn't go around telling the world, anyway. He wasn't one to brag about his conquests. She'd just be another notch in his bedpost, because he was arrogant enough to do something like that.

The bell rang, and shook Blair from her thoughts. Not a good start to the school year. She already got drunk, gave herself up in a limo, spent the night with the Upper East Side's ubiquitous bad boy, and hardly even knew what class she was in this morning. Now she was keeping secrets from her new friends, her family, and pretending to be somebody that she clearly wasn't anymore. _Oh well, _she thought to herself_, I might as well keep going. I can't go to class... I have to get out of here, clear my head, give myself some space. _

xoxo

Chuck really did plan on going to school after he had cleaned up, but he had no clue how to face Blair. By the time he had woken up, she was already dressed and ready for school, and she was kicking him out the door. She was nice enough about it, but something screamed regret in her face. After reading the blast on Gossip Girl, and having too much time to think in the shower, he decided to take the day off. Billionaires didn't really need high school, anyway. His father had gone from nothing to King of New York seemingly overnight, with no education to match. Chuck had already inherited the company; he was set for life even if he hadn't. He went to school to keep up with appearances for Lily's sake, and everybody knew it. The only reason he hadn't been kicked out was the generous donations in the Bass name, and the publicity the school received for him being a part of the student body.

Instead, he sprawled out across his bed and just stared at the ceiling. Blair was beautiful, and he thought he had done everything right. He knew that allowing her to seduce him like she did was wrong. It was too fast. She wasn't accustomed to the lifestyle of a Park Avenue Princess - not the high school version, at least. Blair had money, style and finesse, but she lacked experience. Most of the girls in their graduating class rocked their first scandal well before they had hit high school, and Chuck had embraced that, knowing that he was taking advantage of nothing but his God-given right to tap all of the trust-fund ass he could.

And Blair had changed all of that for him in one night.

xoxo

Blair stood by the pond in Central Park feeding the ducks. It always soothed her and gave her time to reflect.

"Hey, Blair!"

She turned around to see a blonde-haired boy waving at her. "Hi, Nate."

"Well you aren't as bubbly as you seemed 12 hours ago, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing, Nate."

"Seriously, Blair. I know we just met, but I'm a pretty good listener. It doesn't seem like nothing's wrong. Is it the Gossip Girl blast? Your first one sucks; we've all been through it."

"It's that, and just... everything. You know, it's not true."

"I figured it wasn't. Chuck wasn't looking at you like he normally eyes his victims."

"God, Nate, you make it sound like he's an awful monster!"

"Hah, no... he's not. He's my best friend, has been for a long time. He's just Chuck. But he was looking at you differently. There was respect in his eyes."

"I don't know... he's nice and all, but I just met him."

"Well, for what it's worth coming from someone you met in a bar last night... he really is a great guy. And if it's him that's bothering you, maybe you should just talk to him. I don't know what really happened between you last night, but I'm not going to pry. Just give the guy a chance."

"Thanks, Nate. I'll think about it."

"No problem, Blair. I'll see you around, ok?"

Blair watched as Nate continued his walk through the park. He was a nice guy, offering his advice to some girl he didn't know. Nate seemed to think that Chuck was really into her. But Blair wasn't so sure about that, not after what Serena had said about him. And Serena would know. They were family, after all.

xoxo

Chuck sat with his phone in his hands, wanting to call Blair. He hadn't called her yet, and he couldn't figure out why. He wanted to know that she was okay and wanted to see if she needed to talk. She had acted so weird kicking him out of the door, there was hardly a goodbye.

Tired of lying in his bed and thinking about it, he decided to take a walk. Fresh air would certainly make him feel better….. and maybe a mid-afternoon smoke with Nate.

He pulled out his phone to call Nate.

"Hey, what's up man?"

"Nathaniel, could I interest you in a walk around the park?"

"I'm actually already jogging there... are you bringing me a gift?"

"You know I am, Archibald. See you in 5."

With impeccable timing, he got to the entrance of the park just as Nate was rounding the corner.

"So, a mid-afternoon walk through the park? You're worried."

"Nathaniel... I'm Chuck Bass. I don't worry."

"Uh-huh."

Chuck and Nate bonded best when they weren't talking about the serious things in life. They were much more in tune while passing a joint or a bottle. But still, they understood each other better than anybody else, understood each other's pains and thoughts. A true bromance.

As the boys walked through the park, passing their joint, making small talk to avoid the real issue that was bothering Chuck, Blair continued on feeding the ducks, thinking about what Nate had said about Chuck. Maybe he was right, maybe he did care. And maybe he didn't. She'd never know until she talked to him.

Nate stopped Chuck. "Hey, dude... Blair is still here feeding the ducks. She's right over there. Go talk to her; I know that's what's bothering you."

"Archibald, nothing is bothering me. And what do you mean, 'still' feeding the ducks?"

"I talked to her earlier before you called. I ran into her over there when I was jogging. She looked upset, so I just made her feel a little better. I think."

"And what exactly did you say, Nate?"

"Well, Bass, that's between me and her. But just as a word of advice... you should go talk to her. I think she'd appreciate it."

Just as Chuck started to walk toward the pond, his phone started ringing. He pulled it from his pocket and looked... it was Blair. And he looked up just as she was turning around to see where the ringing was coming from. She smiled and put the phone down. She was beautiful when she smiled. Chuck couldn't help but smile himself. "I'll talk to you later, Nathaniel."

"You're welcome, Chuck."

"Well, Chuck, that was some good timing you had there." Blair said. "I was just calling to see how you were... I was a bit rude this morning, I'm sorry about that."

"It's fine, Waldorf. How are you?"

"I'm okay. Confused."

"Care to elaborate?"

"I just... Chuck, I've never been in a situation like that before. I've hardly ever drank. And then I have sex with you, in a limo, wake up next to you in the morning, and it scared me how comfortable I was with everything. And then Serena said that you frequently kick girls to the curb, and I couldn't help thinking that I was an idiot for trusting you, but then Nate said that you really do like me... and I don't know Chuck. I don't know what to do, or what to think, or..."

She was cut off by Chuck's sudden kiss. It was deep, and soothing, and made her melt inside.

"See, this is what I mean, Chuck!" she said as she stepped away from him. "You kiss me, and I feel like I'm floating on air, but you have a reputation, and I'm not that kind of girl!" She had tears forming in her eyes, threatening to spill over any second.

"Blair, listen. Please. I'm aware that I have this reputation; trust me; it's not something I want to uphold. When you walked into that room last night, it was like all of the air in my body was knocked out by some invisible force. It was literally like you taking my breath away. I've probably done some less than satisfactory things to Serena's 'friends', but none of them were like you. Nate was 100% right; I do care. I cared the minute I laid eyes on you, and it scares the hell out of me. I spent all morning with your number on my phone, too scared to dial because I didn't know what to say to you. I'm the face of a multi-billion dollar company, and I'm scared of my feelings for a girl I just met. I'm really sorry if you thought you were just another girl to me, Blair, but you're not. And if that's not what you want, then tell me. But please trust me. I care. Me pouring my heart out to a girl I've known less than 24 hours should be sufficient in showing you that..."

"Chuck! Breathe!" Blair interjected. She could have sworn he hadn't taken a breath through that entire spiel. "Come over tonight. My housekeeper Dorota is making chicken stir fry tonight and she always makes too much food just for me. We can talk after dinner, just hang out, and maybe be friends?"

"I'd like that. 7pm?"

"Sounds good. I'll see you there, Bass."

_Well look at what we have here; and here we've been told that two wrongs don't make a right. Spotted: C and B, both skipping classes and meeting up in the park for a kiss and a heart to heart. We surely do hope that you'll kiss and tell, C, we're dying to know what it is about B that has you coming back for more. XOXO, Gossip Girl._

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**A/N: Finally! An update! I hit a brick wall with this story for awhile - I had this chapter written, and hated it, so I scrapped it completely. I know some people have been upset that Blair just dove right into Chuck like she did - but there's a reason for this (and reviewer jamieerin called me on that one!). Blair didn't grow up with the rest of the NJBC - she's very trusting, because she's never had a reason to NOT trust anybody. There's a reason for all of this. You just have to keep reading. Thank you for all of the reviews, and all of the love for my story Always Have, Always Will. **


	6. Chapter 6

It has been over a year since this story has been updated. To put it lightly, life gets in the way. While writing this, I've been working full time and going to school full time, and some things just end up taking up all of your time.

Since beginning this story, I've changed jobs, moved, gotten engaged, and I'm now a few short weeks away from moving into my first house with my fiance. We're beyond excited, and with wedding planning, moving and work - I forget to breathe, sometimes. :)

Point being, I'm not sure where to go with this story now. The storyline I had in my head a year ago seems to have vanished, and I don't know where to pick up from. If there any any suggestions, please let me know - I'd be happy to continue this story if someone would like to offer their suggestions on to how this story should continue. If I don't receive anything, or anything that I like - then this story will end as-is, and you can all make up your own endings to appease your own hopes and dreams for what will happen to young C&B.

Thank you to everybody who read and reviewed and favorited this story - to be continued?...


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